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As reported late October, the world's largest online professional network LinkedIn is going to ban in Russia beginning Monday following a Moscow court decision this week that found Microsoft-owned LinkedIn to be in violation of the country's data protection laws.

Here's why LinkedIn is facing ban in Russia:

In July 2014, Russia approved amendments to the Russian Personal Data Law that came into force on 1st September 2015, under which foreign tech companies were required to store the personal data of its citizens within the country.

Legislation put in place for protecting its citizens' data from the NSA's worldwide surveillance revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The Russian state's federal media regulator, known as Roskomnadzor, is now threatening to block any company that stored its citizens' personal data on non-Russian servers.

Facebook and Twitter could be Next to Get BLOCKED!

Not just LinkedIn, even other bigger companies, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter, could be next on the list of getting blocked in Russia if they fail to comply with the law.

Major companies, including Google, Apple, and Viber, have reportedly moved some of their servers to Russia this year, although Facebook, Microsoft, and Twitter denied complying with the law.

LinkedIn is the first big name to fall for not complying with the law, as a Russian court upheld a ruling to ban the professional network from operating in the country, the New York Times reports.

LinkedIn is reportedly willing to discuss arrangements that could allow the company to operate in Russia. Here's a comment from a LinkedIn spokesperson:

"The Russian court's decision has the potential to deny access to LinkedIn for the millions of members we have in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses. We remain interested in a meeting with Roskomnadzor to discuss their data localization request."

It seems that Roskomnadzor has chosen LinkedIn its first target due to the company's history of security issues. The massive 2012 LinkedIn hack exposed over 117 Million passwords and usernames.

The ban could take effect on Monday, with Russian internet service providers (ISPs) blocking access to LinkedIn's web address.

LinkedIn, which has some 5 Million users in Russia, could still appeal the court's decision to avoid being blocked across the country.

Roskomnadzor – known as the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies, and Mass Communications – is Russia's telecommunications watchdog that runs a huge blacklist of websites banned in the country.

Russia is not the first country to enforce data localization law on foreign tech companies. A few months ago, Iran also imposed such regulations on all foreign social media and messaging apps to move 'data and activity' associated with Iranian citizens onto servers in Iran within one year.

China has long been known for its strict censorship policies, which has already made it difficult for foreign companies to do business in the world's most populous country of more than 1.35 Billion people.

Now, the Chinese government has approved a broad new controversial cybersecurity regulations that would further strengthen the country's censorship regime, making it more difficult for technology companies to operate in the country.

Made public on Monday, the legislation, passed by China's rubber-stamp parliament and set to go into effect in June 2017, aims at combating growing threats like hacking and terrorism, but actually comes with data localization, real-name requirements, and surveillance.

The Cybersecurity Law requires instant messaging services and other internet operators to force users to register with their real names and personal information, which restricts anonymity of a user online.

The proposed law also includes requirements for 'Data Localization' that would force "critical information infrastructure operators" to store its users' data within the country's borders – the same law Russian government imposed on foreign tech companies.

Chinese Human Rights Watch (HRW) is opposing the legislation, saying that the new law doesn't include any precise definition of infrastructure operators, and will further extend government control over an already heavily monitored and censored media.

"The law will effectively put China's Internet companies, and hundreds of millions of Internet users, under greater state control," HRW's China director Sophie Richardson said in a statement over the weekend.

"Despite widespread international concern from corporations and rights advocates for more than a year, Chinese authorities pressed ahead with this restrictive law without making meaningful changes."

Moreover, the new legislation also covers some new requirements for cyber security, forcing companies to provide "technical support" to government agencies for investigations involving national security and crime and to censor contents that are "prohibited."

Although this technical support is not clearly defined in the law, experts believe that authorities could ask companies for encryption backdoors or other surveillance assistance in the name of tech support.

Under this law, companies and network operators should report "security incidents" to the government and inform consumers of data breaches.

Acts that encourages "overthrowing the socialist system," "fabricating or spreading false information to disturb economic order," and inciting "separatism or damage national unity" are categorized as criminal acts under the new law.

Such requirements have raised serious concerns for the users and companies operating in China, where the Internet and online freedom have already heavily censored by the government.

The world's largest online professional network LinkedIn could face a ban in Russia after the company has failed to comply with a Russian data localization law that compels companies to keep data on Russian users in their country.

If you are not aware, LinkedIn is the only major social network which is not banned in China, because the company agreed to cooperate with the Chinese government and remove controversial content.

However, LinkedIn could be the first social network in Russia to be blocked by the Russian state's federal media regulator, called Roskomnadzor, for not complying with the rules.

In July 2014, the Russia approved amendments to the Russian Personal Data Law which came into force in 1st September 2015, under which foreign tech companies were required to store the personal data of its citizens within the country.

However, Russia was not the first country to enforce such law on foreign tech companies. A few months ago, Iran also imposed new regulations on all foreign messaging and social media apps to move 'data and activity' associated with Iranian citizens onto servers in Iran within one year.

The law was in an attempt to protect its citizen's data from the NSA's mass surveillance revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Big technology companies, such as Google, Apple, and Viber, have reportedly already moved some of their servers to Russia this year.

However, companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter denied complying with the law. But, the Russian Internet watchdog Roskomnadzor has targeted LinkedIn in its first attempt to pressurize foreign companies to comply with its new privacy law.

"They have a bad track record: Every year there’s a major scandal about the safety of user data," Roskomnadzor spokesman Vadim Ampelonskiy told the Moscow Times.

Roskomnadzor said not even LinkedIn refused to move its servers to Russia, but the company also collects and sends data about its citizen who are not even users of the social network without their consent.

"We are seeking a court order to block LinkedIn. We twice sent requests in the summer, but they did not provide answers to our questions," Ampelonskiy told the TASS news agency.

Moscow’s Tagansky District Court has also ruled in favor of the Roskomnadzor, though LinkedIn has appealed to a higher court for removing the ban. The Moscow City Court will announce the decision on November 10.

The watchdog says they will remove the ban if the social networking company provides information that it has comply with the law and moved its servers with data about Russians to their country.

Roskomnadzor – also known as the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies, and Mass Communications – is Russia's telecoms watchdog that runs a huge blacklist of websites banned in Russia.